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Tom Reed,who previously covered the Blue Jackets for The Dispatch, is back after a five-year absence while working for the newspaper in that city up north: Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter at @treed1919

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Forecast: No. 17 Brandon Dubinsky

Posted Aug 22, 2014
by Aaron Portzline

NHL training camps open on Sept. 18, less than one month away. As a ramp-up to the real stuff, we'll spend the next month taking a daily look - a re-appraisal, if you will - of each NHL-level player in the Blue Jackets' organization, a guy you can expect to wear the sweater at some point this season.

We're going by sweater number, so No. 5 on the list is ...

NO. 17 BRANDON DUBINSKY

Age: 28

Role: Second-line center

Signed through: 2020-21 (then an unrestricted free agent)

Salary cap: $4.2 million (increases to $5.85 million beginning 2015-16)

Rear view mirror: Dubinsky had 16 goals, a career-high 34 assists and 50 points in 76 games. He led the Blue Jackets in penalty minutes (98) and faceoff winning percentage (52.9 percent), and was second in hits (234). ... If Dubinsky hadn't missed six games in late November because of a bone bruise in an ankle, he would have led Blue Jackets forwards in shifts, time on ice, etc. He plays heavy minutes in situations, and is on the ice for the minute of close games. ... Nobody emersed themselves in the glory of the Stanley Cup playoffs more than Dubinsky. On that big stage he drew one of the toughest matchups in the NHL -- Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby -- and clearly won the head-to-head battle, limiting Crosby throughout the six-game series. He also scored a huge goal in the final minute of Game 4 to force overtime. ... Dubinsky signed a six-year, $35.1 million contract extension in July, that puts him under contract with the Blue Jackets through 2020-21.

What's ahead: On a club studded with "energy" players, Dubinsky is the front man of this group, the lead singer, the rock star. He does the talking in the dressing room and on the ice -- too much talking, for some -- and is incredibly emotionally connected to the organization. ... Fans who watched the Blue Jackets play through the years often wondered if enough of the players gave a damn if they won or lost. Those questions ended when Dubinsky pulled the sweater over his head after a trade from the New York Rangers to seasons ago. It hasn't all been his doing, but he's a big part of the pace and passion and energy on the ice. ... Were it up to Blue Jackets fans, there would have been a 'C' on Dubinsky's sweater months ago. So why isn't there? Perhaps it's that Dubinsky isn't quite diplomatic enough for some. He doesn't measure words, suffer fools or dodge touchy subjects. Even those who want him to tone it down realize that he wouldn't be the same player without that coarse bravado. And the 'C' does strange things to some people. ... Dubinsky is most likely to settle into the No. 2 line on this club, but his wings are far from settled. Scott Hartnell or Boone Jenner could end up on his left side, but so could Matt Calvert, who has played extensively with Dubinsky the last two seasons. Cam Atkinson figures to be on his right side. ... In his final season with the Rangers, Dubinsky had 10 goals in 77 games. In 29 games with the Blue Jackets in 2013, he had two goals. Last season, he looked more like the player who had 44 goals between 2009-10 and 2010-11 for the Rangers. There's no reason he can hit 20 goals, given his ice time. ... Oddly, Dubinsky had 10-25-35 and a plus-6 rating in 36 home games last season, and only 6-9-15 minus-1 in 37 road games. That's one of the biggest home-road disparities in the NHL last season. Expect more balance. Dubinsky is not a point-a-game player (at home or anywhere), and historically been a very good road player.

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